The present invention relates to mobile communications devices and more particularly, to mobile terminals including media tuning features and methods and computer program products for operating the same.
Mobile terminals are, typically, primarily purchased by a user to obtain access to wireless phone services through a cellular network telecommunications provider. However, as the processing capabilities, memory and the like included in such mobile terminals increases, an additional level of user functionality is being packaged in such mobile terminals to leverage the benefit to a user of an electronic device that is typically kept with the user at most times. For example, many mobile terminals are currently provided with a camera, allowing pictures to be taken by a user and transmitted from the mobile terminal to others. Another feature incorporated in many mobile terminals currently is a personal digital assistant (PDA) type application suitable for tracking scheduling, tasks and the like for the user. Many mobile terminals also include messaging capability, such as electronic mail (e-mail), short message service (SMS) and multimedia message service (MMS) capabilities.
Another area where additional user functionality is being considered for inclusion in mobile terminals relates to the reception of broadcast media content from different broadcast media sources. For example, a mobile terminal may be provided with a radio tuner capability so as to receive amplitude modulation (AM) and/or frequency modulation (FM) broadcast radio channels by tuning to the station identifier for the radio station of a particular broadcast media source. In addition, protocols have been proposed for transmission of digital television signals, including both video and audio content, to wireless devices, such as mobile terminals. Accordingly, mobile terminals have been proposed that would be configured to be able to receive and display television programming based on tuning to an associated station identifier of a broadcast television media source.
The addition of messaging applications, such as SMS, MMS, e-mail and voice messaging, on mobile terminals has been utilized by users for sending a variety of information to other users. For example, if a userA is watching and/or listening to a radio or TV program that userA believes would be interesting to userB, they may wish to use SMS to send information on the radio or TV channel to userB. However, doing so can be a time-consuming and manual task after a particular station identification is known and available to a receiving user.
By way of exemplary scenario, userA sends a message (such as SMS) to userB listing a suggested radio channel frequency. Once userB receives this message, userB has to manually launch the radio application of their mobile device and tune the radio to the specified particular channel. This operation may be both time-consuming and inconvenient for userB. An alternative approach would be to use a voice call between two users, but such an approach may be expensive as both users will typically be charged minutes for the voice call airtime.
In addition to the time and effort required by the receiving userB for tuning to an identified station, the messaging approach further requires manual activity by the notifying userA through launching a selected messaging application and composing a message containing the radio or television tuning information before sending it to userB. These operations may, as a result, be inconvenient for both userA and userB. Even if both userA and userB are in the same proximity, while the burden on userA for opening an application and launching a message may be avoided by a simple communication to userB without use of the mobile terminal, userB will still have to undertake various operations to tune to the station identified orally by userA.
A further limitation of media tuner/players in mobile terminals is that the quality of the display and/or speakers of the mobile terminal may be limited compared to high-end equipment otherwise owned by a user. Accordingly, when a user returns to their home or the like, they may need to turn on their television and/or stereo equipment, tune to the desired station and then begin listening to the higher quality player source before ceasing to listen to an ongoing program broadcast received by their mobile terminal.